Our pick
New York Knicks to win
Good · 64%
Tue 20 Oct 2026, 7:00pm ET (Wed 21 Oct, 01:00 SAST) · Madison Square Garden, New York · NBC and Peacock
Who will win Knicks vs 76ers?
We are backing the New York Knicks. The pre-season model makes them a 64% favourite, which puts this pick in our Good band. The Knicks open the season as defending champions at home against a team they swept in last season’s playoffs.
Game facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Game | Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks |
| Date and tip-off | Tue 20 Oct 2026, 7:00pm ET (Wed 21 Oct, 01:00 SAST) |
| Venue | Madison Square Garden, New York |
| TV | NBC and Peacock, part of the NBA Tip-Off opening night tripleheader |
| How their 2025-26 season ended | Philadelphia 76ers: No. 7 seed in the East, beat Boston 4-3 then swept 4-0 by New York New York Knicks: Won the 2026 NBA title, beating San Antonio 4-1 in the Finals |
Win probability
| Team | Win probability |
|---|---|
| New York Knicks | 64% |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 36% |
Why we are backing the New York Knicks
- New York won the 2026 championship, beating San Antonio 4-1 in the Finals.
- The Knicks swept Philadelphia 4-0 in the 2026 East semi-finals, then swept Cleveland 4-0 in the conference finals.
- Philadelphia did knock out Boston in seven games in the first round, so they are no pushover.
- The model gives New York 64%, a Good-band call rather than Strong on an opening night.
How we got the number
Our confidence figure for NBA games is the Sportradar pre-season win probability for the side we back, rounded to a whole number. Rosters change over the summer and we do not adjust the number for moves we have not verified. Bands: Strong 70% and above, Good 55 to 69%, Close under 55%.
How this pick is graded
Graded on the final score including overtime. If the game is postponed the pick is voided. This is the first NBA season we have published picks for, so the basketball column of our record starts at zero and every result will be shown.
Our record so far
Every pick on this site is graded in public after the event, losses included. At the time of writing our football record stands at 97 wins and 70 losses (58%) across 167 graded picks since 4 Aug 2026, and you can check every one of them on the results log on our homepage.
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